As WordPress is the CMS (content management system) behind around a third of the world’s websites, it has proved its potential for website building and management. In terms of design and functionality, you can expect the sky to be the limit with WordPress, if you know how to use it.
WordPress can be tailored to the user by utilising the code writing, installing and changing features. If you know how to code websites and are good at it, there is no stopping the website's quality if using WordPress. Even if you're not able to code, you can still build a world class website, but it might cost you. Some templates with WordPress aren't free, unlike other website builders you may have used. To bag yourself a top quality template you are looking north of $100 (standard premium templates will set you back $50 - $75).
WordPress lives on plugins and thanks to them you can develop your website without touching the code once. With 40,000 plugins (with more being added on a daily basis) you can make your site look and feel like you paid thousands for it to be built.
Most hosts will include WordPress as part of their hosting package. Some hosts will offer specific WordPress Hosting packages which tend to cost a little more so keep an eye out for this. From a standard WordPress hosting plan you can expect:
A free domain - Every website needs a domain, and even if you already have one, it's quite nice to be able to pick up another free. This is usually offered with hosting services anyway, but I thought it would be worth mentioning so when you see a bad deal you know it. Any plans not including a free domain are worth steering away from, as it is likely you can't buy a domain through the service the plan is from, meaning you will have to buy one elsewhere and port it in. This is a lot of hassle, hassle which you can easily avoid by buying WordPress hosting from a company which provides domains, specifically free ones.
Email accounts - WordPress has a version of this functionality inherently, you can set up 5 forwarders to capture emails sent to 'example@yourdomain.com'. Good WordPress hosting packages will include 5 or more actual email accounts from which you can send email.